Blog Assignment 2

Did You Know?

Did you know? What a question that is asked every day by millions, probably billions of people. 'Did you know' facts are always so interesting and I feel like I remember those facts very easily. Watching the "Did You Know?" YouTube video was an eye opener for me personally. The facts and statistics that were stated in the video really put the size of our world into perspective for me. However, I am not sure if my brain can comprehend how big this planet actually is and how many numbers and stats come from this planet not only daily but every few seconds. The video brought my attention to many things that I would never wonder or think about. It also made my wheels start turning and wanting to know more information.

To be honest I wasn't expecting the 'Did You Know?' video to be about such interesting facts. I feel as if it is something that people should watch. It made me wonder about even more information. The video was only 4 minutes and 56 seconds and it delivered so much information. I cannot imagine what an hour long video would dish out. Can you imagine all of the things that go on in this country and world that we have no idea about? There is so much knowledge to be gained in life and I feel as if I have just only scratched the surface. This video is something that has made me think and I want to make you think as well! Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY

Mr. Winkle Wakes

I am not sure what exactly I was expecting when I was about to Watch 'Mr. Winkle Wakes' but I am pretty sure it wasn't a little cartoon man! As I began to watch the video it was explaining how Mr. Winkle woke up from is 100 year nap and EVERYTHING was different. He had never seen, heard, or thought of the things that were going on in the world. I then put myself into Mr. Winkle's shoes and thought what it would be like if I was from 100 years ago and came into this "new" world. I thought I would be frightened and confused. I would probably think everyone else was crazy and I was the normal person. It would definitely be an extreme shock coming into our day and age from the stone age. It is amazing how fast times can change and this video put that into perspective for me.

As the video went on I thought it would just keep talking about what had changed from the time Mr. Winkle went to sleep and woke up. I was surprised when the narrator began to talk about the school Mr. Winkle was in. He was explaining that Mr. Winkle liked being at the school because it was exactly the same as he remembered. That was a red flag for me! I thought school should be different from 100 years ago just like the rest of the world! It really made me think because I know there are schools out there that have no or very little technology to help their students learn. It is so important to stay updated in this world and especially in the school system. Children are the future and children need to come from well equipped schools. They need to gain knowledge from a technologically advanced school. It is so important that as adults and future educators that we give our students and children all of the newest, up to date equipment for their learning experience. On the first day of class Dr. Strange used a great example of this. He asked us if we would send our children to a doctor that has been practicing since the 70's and still does the same things he did back then. Or would we send our children to the doctor with the newest and advanced equipment that keeps learning about the medical field. I obviously said the doctor with the best/newest equipment that is always up to date. Dr. Strange said this is how it should be with our schools as well. He was so right!!

Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts

I believe that this video was an excellent choice for this class. It was a great example of using technology as a teacher and as a student. Mrs. Vicki Davis reminds me of a female version of Dr. Strange! She said some of the same things that he has said to us or wrote to us as a class. I really liked when Mrs. Davis said she learns with the students as well. For example, a group of her students taught her how to terraform. She had no idea to do it before the assignment and she decided she'll let her students figure it out and then she will learn from them. I think that makes her a great teacher as well.

I loved that the class was from a rural city. It proves that you do not have to live in the big city to be technologically competent. It is so cool that you can connect with people from your small town to across the country. I believe that there needs to be more teachers like Mrs. Davis and Dr. Strange who want their students to be successful as people and students. They teach their students to explore and learn from not only each other but from different cultures and people as well. This short video was another eye opener for me. It says to me that "It can be done!". Whatever the 'IT' is :)

The Importance of Creativity

I think it is obvious to me that to be an educator, especially an elementary teacher, that creativity is so so so important! Creativity is what the children thrive off of! Your creativity grabs and holds the attention of the children, it motivates the children to learn, and so much more. As a teacher you need to be creative in your classroom and in your teaching strategy.

I like how Mr. Robinson says that "creativity is as important as literacy in education and it should be treated that way". I totally agree with him. Being creative isn't just about being colorful and having a pretty room, it is a huge part of the learning process. I also liked how the video made me laugh. I like that Mr. Robinson threw in some jokes and wasn't so serious. Some people can be so uptight but he was just talking to his audience like they were his friends.

I agree with Mr. Robinson when he says that schools kill creativity. Schools always just want to pound the information into the students without making learning exciting. It is so important to make learning exciting and to let children and students use their own creativity to learn. Teaching students without using your own creativity and letting them use their creativity should not be allowed. Learning should be all about creativity.